58
T H E
K I N G ' S
B U S I N E S S
February, 1936
(John 3 :3, 5-7) ; the kingdom o f heaven, during this age, is the sphere o f a profes sion which may be real or false . . . (3) Since the kingdom o f heaven is the earth ly sphere o f the universal kingdom of God, the two have almost all things in common. For this reason many parables and other teachings are spoken of the kingdom of heaven in Matthew, and of the kingdom of God in Mark and Luke . . . But the parable of the leaven (Matt. 13:33) is spoken of the kingdom of God also, for, alas, even the true doctrines o f the king dom are leavened with the errors of which the Pharisees, S a d d u c e e s , and the Herodians were the representatives... (4) The kingdom o f God ‘comes not with out ward show’ (Lk. 17:20), but is chiefly that which is inward and spiritual (Rom. 14:17) . . . (5) The kingdom of heaven merges into the kingdom o f God when Christ, having ‘put all enemies under his feet,’ ‘shall have delivered up the kingdom to God, even the Father’ (1 Cor. 15:24- 28).” In the passage under consideration, our Lord had been speaking of the “kingdom of God” (v. 31). Verse 32 concludes with the words: “It is your Father’s good pleas ure to give you the kingdom.” This decla ration sounds strange, in relation to what the Lord had just said concerning seeking the kingdom. But the giving is in response to the seeking—God’s response to man’s desire. Our Lord makes plain that secur ing the kingdom is the highest good and therefore the truest value. He who seeks first the kingdom of God and His right eousness shall lack no needful thing. Recognizing his relation to the kingdom of God, the believer is exhorted to evaluate rightly every material possession (v. 33). Such an adjustment to issues of eternal value will deliver the heart from anxiety, will wean it from the love o f things that are transitory, and will enable the Chris tian to live a truly care-less life. At the same time, by such a course of action,, the believer will be storing up riches for eter nity (v, 34). One great cause o f anxiety and fearfulness among Christians today is found in the fact that their affections are centered upon things which may and fre quently do pass away. Let us seek the things that endure, resting in the assurance that no good thing will God withhold from those who are His children through faith in Christ. Points and Problems 1. Here again it is essential to notice the close connection between the lesson and the preceding material (Lk. 12:13-21). The teacher by all means should read the story of the Rich Fool as an introduction to the lesson. The material in verses 13 to 21 was evidently spoken in the hearing of “the multitude.” But in verse 22, Christ turns definitely to “his disciples.” They have been listening to the Lord’s words addressed to the man who wanted Him to settle the dispute over an inheritance, and they have been deeply interested, no doubt, in the account o f the Rich Fool. Now is a good time to drive home the danger of grasping after material “things.” 2. What a contrast between the Rich Fool and the “ little flock” ! He spent his life grasping after material things and bodily comfort. But he ends with nothing. The “ little flock,” on the other hand, are not to be anxious about material things at all. Even what they have is to be given away. Yet they end with “the kingdom” as an eternal possession.
3. The Greek word translated “ take thought’ in verses 22, 25, and 26, means to take “anxious thought." Our Lord is not counseling a foolish improvidence, but is warning men rather against the fretting anxiety o f worry. There would be fewer people suffering from “mental breakdown" —and worse—if mankind paid more at tention to this warning. 4. There is some question in verse 25 as to whether our Lord referred to length of life or height of stature. The common version makes it “stature,” while the American Revision' prefers the idea of “age.” Whichever translation be right, there is no question about one thing, namely, that a man can add neither to his stature nor to his age by worrying about the matter. Worry can add nothing to life, but it can subtract a great deal. 5. The teaching of Christ in this lesson does not support asceticism, as some af firm. Speaking o f the material things of life, He clearly recognizes that His peo ple “ have need of these things” (v. 30). And His promise is that if they put God first, “all these things shall be added unto you” (v. 31). Golden Text Illustration William Carey, the pioneer missionary in India, was, before he left his homeland, a shoemaker, or, in his own words, a cob bler. In those early days in England, he used to go about from village to village preaching, for his soul was filled with the love of God. One day a friend came to him and said, “Mr. Carey, I want to speak to you very seriously.” “Well,” said Mr. Carey, “what is it?” The friend replied, “ By your going about preaching as you do, you are neglecting your business. If you only attended to your business more, you would be all right, and would soon get on and prosper; but as it is, you are simply neglecting your busi ness.” ’ “ Neglecting my business!” said Carey, looking steadily at his friend. “My busi ness is to advance the cause of Christ. I only cobble shoes to pay expenses.”— 1,000 Tales Worth Telling, by Pickering. Memory Verse: “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from the Father” (Jas. 1 :17). Approach: Last week we were learning to say the Lord’s Prayer, and we were remembering some of the things which we should think about when we are praying to God’s Good Gifts L uke 12:13-34
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You know, most o f Jesus’ followers had left their homes and their business to go with Jesus and learn from Him. Some times, I suppose, they wondered whether that had been a wise thing for them to do. Would God take care o f them if they didn’t go back to their work o f catching fish, or changing money, or whatever they had done before they had met Jesus and an swered His call to follow Him?
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